Live discussion: The case against Lance Armstrong

By Houston Mitchell and Lance Pugmire

Oct. 10, 2012 12 AM PT

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Join us for a live Google+ Hangout at 1 p.m. when Times reporter Lance Pugmire and columnist Helene Elliott will discuss &amp;lt;runtime:topic id=”PEHST000083”&amp;gt;Lance Armstrong&amp;lt;/runtime:topic&amp;gt;. The live video chat will take place on this blog post. Until then, you can watch a replay of our Lakers and Clippers chat from earlier today above.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Later today, the &amp;lt;a class=”taxInlineTagLink” href=”https://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/u.s.-anti-doping-agency-ORNPR000077.topic”&amp;gt;United States Anti-Doping Agency&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, which banned seven-time &amp;lt;a class=”taxInlineTagLink” href=”https://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/cycling/road-race-cycling/tour-de-france-EVSPR00003533.topic”&amp;gt;Tour de France&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; winner &amp;lt;a class=”taxInlineTagLink” href=”https://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/cycling/lance-armstrong-PEHST000083.topic”&amp;gt;Lance Armstrong&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; from competition for life in August, is set to reveal the findings that led to the discipline Wednesday.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;USADA Chief Executive Travis Tygart said USADA’s “reasoned decision” to pursue banning Armstrong before the cyclist clinched the penalty by withdrawing from the agency’s arbitration process will be sent to the &amp;lt;a class=”taxInlineTagLink” href=”https://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/cycling/international-cycling-union-ORNPR000246.topic”&amp;gt;International Cycling Union&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; (UCI), the &amp;lt;a class=”taxInlineTagLink” href=”https://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/world-anti-doping-agency-ORNPR000078.topic”&amp;gt;World Anti-Doping Agency&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt; and the World Triathlon Corp. on Wednesday.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=”https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-usada-armstrong-doping-20121010,0,5901743.story”&amp;gt;USADA chief previews Lance Armstrong report&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The evidence, Tygart said, is in excess of 1,000 pages and features sworn testimony from 26 individuals, “including 15 riders with knowledge of the USPS team and its participants’ doping activities.”&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Tygart praised the “courage” of 11 Armstrong teammates who came forward: &amp;lt;runtime:topic id=”PESPT0016442”&amp;gt;Frankie Andreu&amp;lt;/runtime:topic&amp;gt;, &amp;lt;runtime:topic id=”PESPT0016440”&amp;gt;Michael Barry&amp;lt;/runtime:topic&amp;gt;, &amp;lt;a class=”taxInlineTagLink” href=”https://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/cycling/tom-danielson-PESPT0001367.topic”&amp;gt;Tom Danielson&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, &amp;lt;a class=”taxInlineTagLink” href=”https://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/tyler-hamilton-PESPT0000011564.topic”&amp;gt;Tyler Hamilton&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, &amp;lt;a class=”taxInlineTagLink” href=”https://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/cycling/george-hincapie-PESPT0001428.topic”&amp;gt;George Hincapie&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, &amp;lt;a class=”taxInlineTagLink” href=”https://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/cycling/floyd-landis-PESPT008427.topic”&amp;gt;Floyd Landis&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, &amp;lt;a class=”taxInlineTagLink” href=”https://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/cycling/levi-leipheimer-PESPT0001182.topic”&amp;gt;Levi Leipheimer&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, Stephen Swart, &amp;lt;a class=”taxInlineTagLink” href=”https://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/cycling/christian-vande-velde-PESPT0001297.topic”&amp;gt;Christian Vande Velde&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;, &amp;lt;runtime:topic id=”PESPT0016441”&amp;gt;Jonathan Vaughters&amp;lt;/runtime:topic&amp;gt; and &amp;lt;a class=”taxInlineTagLink” href=”https://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/cycling/david-zabriskie-PESPT0001316.topic”&amp;gt;David Zabriskie&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;According to the statement, USADA gathered information that “includes direct documentary evidence including financial payments, emails, scientific data and laboratory test results that further prove the use, possession and distribution of performance-enhancing drugs by Lance Armstrong and confirm the disappointing truth about the deceptive activities of the USPS team, a team that received tens of millions of American taxpayer dollars in funding.”&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If you have a question you would like to ask Lance or Helene, send an email to sportshangout@latimes.com and we will try to answer it during the chat.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p class=”body”&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;ALSO:&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=”https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-usain-bolt-soccer-20121010,0,7510310.story”&amp;gt;Usain Bolt might try soccer after track&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=”https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-coco-crisp-20121010,0,3481511.story”&amp;gt;Watch Coco Crisp’s home run-saving catch&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=”https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-reggie-bush-baby-20121010,0,3690790.story”&amp;gt;Reggie Bush and girlfriend expecting their first baby&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

Live discussion: The case against Lance Armstrong

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